I really enjoyed this book. It is so heartbreaking and inspirational. It is written so well. A book everyone should read

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for this arc

I really enjoyed this and thought it was a really good, empowering concept and I loved that it seemed really from the heart!

Title: Black Sheep
A Story of Rural Racism, Identity and Hope
Written by Sabrina Pace-Humphreys
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Pub Date: 09 Jun 2022
Publisher: Books, Quercus

Life is hard in 80's England as a poor child, on benefits and being raised by one parent. The fact that Sabrina's Scottish family judge her as an outcast, simply for being born in England, is disgusting enough, add to that the fact she is mixed race and you have a recipe for an extremely racist, abusive and lonely childhood.

As a child Sabrina grows up wanting to be the same as other little girls but she quickly realizes that is not going to happen. From setting her little heart on a crown usually won by little white girls, to being as an adult woman left by white men to die.



Of course given the full title it is obvious that Pace-Humphreys suffers from racism growing up, and while that is the main focus of the book it covers so much more. The fight to love freely regardless of any social barriers. The hate within family, desertion by her father, abandonment by almost everyone, love, nationality, racial identity, betrayal, self worth,an almost emotional absenteeism and parentification by her mother, death and murder. It is also full of hope for the future, new friendships and finding a place you can feel excepted.



This book is a tough read no doubt about that. When I started the Prologue I had to stop reading the book for a few days. Anyone with half a heart would have multiple feelings at the mere mention of the name George Floyd and for me I just couldn't get pasted the first two pages.

Still after a few days I pushed though my initial urge to get away from the book. I believe it was the fear that made me not want to read this book. You see I have a POC in my life, one I care for an extreme amount, and when Mr Floyd died I had nightmares about this happening to my loved one. We do not live in the US, in fact we live in Ireland, but as Peace-Humphreys says about her English home "this town is racist."

Regardless, I started to read the book again. I found Sabrina to be unbelievably honest in her work. Not only about the words and actions of others but about what she did, said and thought. Given just how much she had been though, the childhood abuse, abandonment by her father, the other-ing by her extended family and her isolation of race in her neighborhood, not to mention peoples treatment of her as an adult, I can't believe she is such a positive and outgoing person.

Running may not be for you, it certainly isn't for me, yet somehow Sabrina makes it an interesting subject. I didn't find myself rolling my eyes, yawning or skipping ahead just to get past parts. It was actually the other way, as someone who's mobility is deteriorating with age I find it very hard to listen to people talk about fitness, some days I struggle when walking the dogs, but for the most part I didn't feel this. Not only did I not feel annoyed or bored I felt envious. Peace-Humphreys had such a way with description I actually wished I was there, except for the fall (if you know you know.)

This work was an emotional roller coaster but I'm glad I got on. I didn't feel like I has so much read a book as more made a friend. Speaking of friends that last story was heart breaking I was so angry at the betrayal Sabrina suffered.

I think this book does a good job of reminding us, it doesn't matter who your parents are, if you are rich or poor, white or POC, man, woman or any other gender, your nationality, your orientation, we are all human and human life matters.

Actually it reminds us that Black Lives Matter.

Growing up in northern England in the 1980s and 1990s, Sabrina was the only person of colour in her small town. At school, she suffered relentless racism and bullying and the discrimination transcended into her wider family in Scotland, where she was judged not only by her skin colour but also by her dual English/Scottish nationality. Abandoned by her black father as a toddler she was brought up by her white mother who struggled to help understand and support her with the issues she was struggling with.

This is a powerful story which describes how much her experiences affected the way her life mapped out, including struggling with her mental health and self-worth, turning to alcohol as a coping mechanism and becoming a teenage mother. This is a harrowing read and one I would keep on my bookshelf for years to come.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this read. I would have loved more on her early childhood and maybe more on her relationships with her parents and sister as she knew up but I really did enjoy it.

I've heard Sabrina talk about this, her debut non fiction book and it really piqued my interest. And boy, it didn't disappoint.

Sabrina has led such an interesting and inspiring life and I loved reading about her from a young age up to the present day. The main focus is the rural racism she has faced throughout her life as a mixed race child and then woman in a small English town. Old feelings and memories are brought up around the killing of George Floyd and Sabrina uses her voice to speak up against racism. This will give her great attention and responsibilities, but will also lose her friendships.

My favourite chapter was Don't touch my hair. Something we as white women take for granted, going to the hairdressers, becomes a right of passage for Sabrina. She doesn't know anyone with hair like hers. So for her to have a black woman style her hair is so important. I just wanted to give her a big hug and the fantastic hairdresser Aunty Fi ❤️

It's great to read a book about such a strong woman who has faced so much adversity. Teenage mum, successful business owner, hardcore runner and activist. This book once again shows us that representation matters.

Thank you to the author and publisher for an arc of this book. So glad I got to read this it before it's release next month. And I'll be recommending everyone read it.

"The pain is temporary, but the beauty remains"

Growing up in northern England in the 1980s and 1990s, Sabrina was the only person of colour in her small town. At school she suffered relentless racism and bullying and the discrimination transcended into her wider family in Scotland, where she was judged not only by her skin colour, but also by her dual English/Scottish nationality. Abandoned by her black father as a toddler she was brought up by her white mother who struggled to help understand and support her with the issues she was struggling with.  This is a powerful story which describes how much her experiences affected the way her life mapped out, including struggling with her mental health and self-worth, turning to alcohol as a coping mechanism and becoming a teenage mother. However  she also channels herself into starting her own business and taking up running to relieve stress, eventually taking part in extreme running challenges. For me this was a powerful read as Sabrina is a similar age and highlights some incredibly important  issues about racism in society.

What a book! This was such a brilliant memoir - it broke my heart but also taught me so much about resilience.